US State Nicknames

Every US state has a nickname (or two, or more),
but not all American states have official nicknames. By "official"
I mean a nickname that has been formally adopted as a "state symbol"
by the state's legislature, rather than one that is just in common use.
However, a number of states have officially added a nickname to their
licence plates (either as an option, or as an obligation under the legislation)
even though the nickname is not recognised separately as a "state
symbol".

The table shows all those that I've been able to research. I haven't
included slogans or state mottos (which sometimes get mixed up with
nicknames), and it's important to note that some nicknames were never
widely adopted, having sometimes only appeared in one or two places.

I have used numerous reference sources for this research, although
I don't include them individually here as this page is already rather
long. Apart from various Almanacs, directories, dictionaries and official
Web sites, my main reference source has been H.L. Mencken's The American
Language. Not surprisingly there are often conflicts between sources
when it comes to details, and I've tried to express this in the text.

Where possible I've tried to specifically identify whether a state
has a nickname which is officially recognised as such by the state's
legislature. When I've been able to do so, the details appear alongside
the state's name (with the date it was adopted). No nickname alongside
the state's name, means that so far I've been unable to find any formal
confirmation either way.

Alabama (no official
nickname)

Alabama has a central position within the cotton-growing
area east of the Mississippi, which has led it to be known as the
Cotton State (1844) or the Cotton Plantation
State. However, this term was also applied to all the states
of the area as a group. There were also many variations quoted,
such as Cottondom (first seen in 1856), Cotton
Belt (1871), Cotton Country (1871), and even
Cottonia (1862). The first Alabamians were sometimes
known as "lizards", which gave the state its earlier nickname
of Lizard State back in 1845. In more recent times
the state has been known as the Yellowhammer State,
from Civil War days, and many people believe that it derives from
the species of woodpecker - in reality, it arose from the yellow
colour of the home-dyed uniforms that the Alabama troops wore during
the Civil War. Occasionally, Alabama also gets the Camelia
State. While there is no official nickname for the state,
The Heart of Dixie is the most commonly used. It
was introduced by the state's Chamber of Commerce in the 1940s for
publicity purposes, and in 1951 was approved by the legislature
for inclusion on licence plates, although the first of these did
not appear until four years later.

Alaska (no official
nickname)

Alaska has no official nickname although, when it
joined the union in 1959 a number of suggestions were made. The
49th Stateis the most obvious, and Great Land
was also suggested. It was also suggested that it be known as the
Sourdough State, as well as the North Star State
(this name also being claimed by Minnesota). It was even at one
time referred to as Up Over (in comic opposition to
New Zealand and Australia, which are "Down Under"). Various
facetious nicknames were also applied, including Seward's
Ice Box and Seward's Folly, after William
Henry Seward who bought Alaska from the Russians in 1867.However, Alaska is more commonly (but unofficially) known
as The Last Frontier, or The Land of the Midnight
Sun. Alaska licence plates display North to the Future

Arizona

When Arizona was admitted to the union in 1912, it
quickly gained the nickname The Baby State, which
it held on to until 1959 when Alaska was admitted. However, it was
also sometimes known as The Valentine State, based
on the fact that it was admitted on Valentine's Day. It's not surprising
that the success of copper mining the state means that it is occasionally
known as the Copper State. Its connection with American
Indians gave Arizona the name Apache State, with
other nicknames such as Aztec State, Sand Hill
State, Sunset State and Grand Canyon
State being used at one time or another, with the last of
these appearing on licence plates..

Arkansas (The Natural
State - 1995)

The earliest known nickname for Arkansas seems to
be Bear State, recorded first in 1858, and this is
a nickname to which several states have laid claim. It was also
sometimes known as The Bowie Stateand The Toothpick
State (both alluding to the Bowie knife, the favourite
weapon of the area, and which was sometimes called "a toothpick
knife"), and the Hot-water State (because of
the number of hot springs in the area). However, the first official
nickname for Arkansas came in 1923 when the legislature designated
the state as The Wonder State. In more modern times,
Arkansas has had the unofficial nickname of The Razorback
State, but was more officialy known as The
Land of Opportunity for many years. Arkansas licence plates
display another nickname (The Natural State) which
became the state's most recent official nickname in 1995.

California (The
Golden State - 1968)

California was first known simply as The Gold
State, because of the Gold Rush of 1848. It was also sometimes
known as El Dorado and, because of its wine connections,
The Grape State. The "Gold" was changed
to "Golden" by 1867, and since then the state has been
known as The Golden State, which became the state's
official nickname in 1968 (appearing also on licence plates). California's
state flower is the Golden Poppy, which has led some to assume that
it is from this which the state gets its nickname whereas in reality
it is much more likely that the state flower was chosen because
of the "golden" reference.

Colorado

Admitted to the union 100 years from the founding
of the Union, Colorado quickly became known as The Centennial
State. At about the same time, and because of the abundant
silver mines, it also laid claim to The Silver State,
but which Nevada disputed its right to as early as 1871. The minerals
of the state also led to, according to some unconfirmed reports,
The Lead State. It also tried for Switzerland
of America, but four other states (Maine, New Jersey, New
Hampshire and West Virginia) disputed this one. It then tried for
Treasure State, but Montana wanted that. Its high
elevation has led to the state occasionally being known as the Mile-high
State (although that's an epithet now reserved for Denver,
the "Mile High City") and the Highest State,
its great beauty produced Colorful Colorado, and the
many roaming bison herds led to The Buffalo Plains State.
In practice, Colorado remains The Centennial State, but
it is The Mountain State which appears on licence
plates.

Connecticut (The
Constitution State - 1959)

First known as Land of Wooden Nutmegs
(after a scam commonly perpetrated there of selling useless nutmegs
made of wood), the state quickly became known as The Wooden
Nutmeg State, and then just The Nutmeg State.
Connecticut has had its fair share of other nicknames. The fact
that the first formal constitution written on American soil, back
in Hartford, 1639, gave it The Constitution State,
a nickname that was made the state's official nickname in 1959,
and which appears on licence plates. It was also given the
Provisions State and The Blue Law State,
from some of its "Blue Laws" in colonial times. In 1843,
the only nickname recorded for the state was The Freestone
State, and it has also been known as The Land of Steady
Habits.

Delaware (The First
State - 23 May 2002)

Nobody quite knows where the modern-day
Delaware's Blue Hen State comes from. It was first
recorded in the early 1800s, and may be an allusion to a "blue
hen chicken", a term meaning a "quick-tempered and fiery
person", possibly deriving from the fact that Delaware soldiers
took "Blue Hen Cocks" with them as entertainment in the
form of cock fights. In the 16th cenury, the Spanish introduced
peaches into the state, and a hundred years later the state was
almost overrun with them, leading to the nickname The Peach
State (which in turn led the state to adopt the Peach Blossom
as the state flower in 1895). It also once had the nickname New
Sweden, after the name of the original Swedish settlement
of "Nye Sverige", founded in 1638. And its small size
gave it the nickname of Uncle Sam's Pocket Handkerchief,
or more recently, Small Wonder. The state
also had two other common nicknames - The Diamond State
(because of its small size) and the semi-official name (as it appears
on licence plates), The First State (being the first
to be admitted to the Union in 1787). In 2002, the state formally
adopted The First State as its official nickname after
a group of elementary school children approached the majority leader
of the House and asked for help in getting the unofficial nickname
made official.

District of Columbia

Not really a state as such, DC has no
official nickname - but is frequently called The Nation's
Capital (which appears on its licence plates) and America's
First City

Florida (The Sunshine
State - 1970)

At one time, back in the 1860s, Florida
was known as The Peninsula State, for obvious reasons.
Later in the 19th century, it also became known as The Everglades
State. Florida is a large producer of oranges which led
the state to be known as The Orange State (and in
one reference, The Citrus State),the
meaning of the state's name ("flowery") led to The
Flower State and its location on the east of the Gulf of
Mexico led to The Gulf State. For many years, Florida
appears as The Sunshine Stateon its licence
plates, but this name was only given official status in 1970
when it was officially adopted by the legislature. The nickname
is also unofficially claimed by New Mexico and (until 1980) South
Dakota.

Georgia (No Official
Nickname)

In 1843, Georgia was listed as The
Pine State, but thirty years later some were calling it
The Cracker State. A "cracker" in this context
was slang for a low Southern white man, coined in the mid-18th century
(although other sources suggest that it may relate to the many teamsters
in the state, and be an allusion to the cracking of their whips).
Whatever the origin, many Georgians hated the nickname. Georgia
has also been known as The Buzzard State (from laws
Georgia introduced to protect buzzards), from the peanut came The
Goober State, and from its leadership, Yankee-land
of the South. The nicknames for Georgia these days are The
Empire State of the South (originally used in the mid 19th
century, but since then has been hotly disputed by Taxes), and the
name that appears on licence plates, The Peach State
(the peach being the official state fruit since 1995). However,
Georgia's legislature has not designated an official nickname for
the state.

Hawaii (The Aloha
State - 1959)

Many of Hawaii's supporters call it Paradise
of the Pacific, or Crossroads of the Pacific
(although this is mostly associated with the city of Honolulu),
and others call it the Pineapple State . But since
1959 a Polynesian greeting has given the state's official nickname
(which also appears on licence plates), The Aloha State.

Idaho

The name of the state is often (but incorrectly)
supposed to be Indian for "gem of the mountains".
This has led the state to be nicknamed Gem of the
Mountains, or most succinctly in more recent times, The
Gem State. But Idaho's famous potatoes aren't ignored, and
Land of the Famous PotatoandSpud Stateare
sometimes seen, with Famous Potatoes appearing on
the licence plates.

Illinois

The sucker fish once gave Illinois the
nickname, The Sucker State (and also, incidentally,
gave us the slang word "sucker", for someone who is easy
prey). The state has actually had numerous nicknames over the years
- Garden of the West, The Garden State and
The Corn State being just three of them. Lincoln began
his political career in Illinois, and in 1955 its slogan became
Land of Lincoln (which now appears on its licence
plates). However, these days it is often known as The Prairie
State, a name which it has had since at least as early as
1842, before which it was a term applied to all the plain states.

Indiana (no official
nickname)

Indiana is one of the few states that
has had only one nickname - The Hoosier State - a name it has had
since the 1830s. At one time, a "hoosier" was any rough
person in the Wild West, but it eventually came to be applied contemptuously
(like "Yankee") to anyone from Indiana. Nobody quite knows
where "Hoosier" comes from, but it seems to have first
appeared in 1826. Indiana licence plates display the motto, The
Hospitality State

Iowa

Nobody is quite sure where the name "Hawkeye"
came from, but it is possibly from Fennimore Cooper's "The
Last of the Mohicans" - alternatively, it may have been coined
as a tribute to the Indian leader, Chief Black Hawk. It seems to
have applied to Iowans from around 1840, and The Hawkeye State
is first recorded around 1859. A more popular and recent (but also
only semi-official) nickname is the Corn State, which
has appeared on the state licence plates.

Kansas (The Sunflower
State)

Kansas has probably had more nicknames
in its history than any other state. Around the time of the Civil
War, it was known as The Battleground of Freedom,
but later was known as The Garden of the West, or
just The Garden State. However, these last two nicknames
were disputed by other states and never really caught on. Another
pre-Civil War nickname, based on the old "squatter laws",
was The Squatter State. In 1890 it was The
Grasshopper State, and other natural calamities gave The
Cyclone State and The Dust Bowl State. It
has also been called The Salt of the Earth. The Jayhawker
State is a name derived from the slang name for a Kansan
from around 1875 (although it was used in a wider sense as a fighting
abolitionist before then), and still occasionally used, but shortened
to Jayhawk State. Kansas itself officially favoured
the more demure Sunflower State, which is the official
nickname (and the sunflower is the state flower), with The
Wheat State appearing on its licence plates.

Kentucky (The Bluegrass
State)

The "Blue Grass" region of
the US once extended from Pennsylvania in the east to Ohio in the
west, and down into Tennessee in the south. Although the grass is
green, the bluish buds produced in the spring give the grass a distinctly
blue colour. Kentucky itself was the Bluegrass State from
the time of the Civil War, and remains so (the name appears on the
state licence plates). One suggestion for the origin of the name
"Kentucky" is that it means "dark and bloody ground",
and this led to the state (actually its a commonwealth) being known
as Dark and Bloody Ground. This refers to battles
between tribes of Indians, and not to any conflict with the
white man, despite the fact that references as early as 1839 were
saying that it was an allusion to battles between Indians and the
first white settlers, and brought to the language by Daniel Boone.
Over the years, Kentucky has been known as the Hemp State,
the Rock-Ribbed State and the Tobacco State.

Louisiana

Louisiana has been the Pelican State
since around 1859 (the Pelican is also the official state bird),
and has had few nicknames since then. In 1872, it was listed as
being the Creole State, but the misunderstandings
of northerners, who thought it suggested African blood rather than
the correct meaning of "caucasian", led to its demise.
Occasionally, Louisiana gets called the Sugar State.
The influence of the great river has led some to call it Child
of the Mississippi, and the state's many waterways have
also results in the Bayou State (which is the name
on the state's licence plates).

Maine

Maine has a pine tree on its seal, and
has been known as the Pine Tree Statesince the middle
of the 19th century, possibly aroun the 1850s. It derives from the
white pine, the official state tree. But it was also recorded as
the Lumber State in 1843. The state motto is Dirigo,
meaning "I direct", and this has led some to call it the
Old Dirigo State. Licence plates in Maine declare
the state to be Vacationland, and it has also been
known as the Border State.

Maryland

Maryland is another state that has had
numerous nicknames since colonial times. Old Line State
(from the Maryland Line in the old Colonial army, which some say
was bestowed on the state by George Washington) and Terrapin
State (representative of the decline in standing of the
state), are probably the oldest, but in 1923 the editor of the Baltimore
Sun used the name Maryland Free State in an ironic
editorial when the state was denounced as a traitor to the union
for not introducing legislation to enforce prohibition. In fact
the editorial was never published, but he went on to use the term
in other articles and this soon spread amongst other newspapers
in the state, often being shortened to the Free State. Maryland
has also been known as the Monumental State (a name
which had appeared by 1843, and which derives from Baltimore's nickname
of "Monumental City"), the Oyster State (from
the Chesapeake oyster, once considered a great pride for the state)
and also the Chesapeake State (by which name it is
known on its licence plates).

Massachusetts

Massachusetts is a commonwealth, and is
usually known as the Bay State, a nickname that goes
right back to its early settlers in 1789, with Old Bay State
appearing some 50 years later. Both allude to the colony
of Massachusetts Bay, founded in 1628. The earlier Plymouth settlement
gave Massachusetts Old Colony, a name which first
appeared around 1798, and those first colonists also led to the
state sometimes being known as the Pilgrim State and
the Puritan State. There are reports of it also being
called the Baked Bean State, an allusion to the fact
that the puritans would serve baked beans on Sundays. But Massachusetts
licence plates declare The Spirit of America or The
Codfish State

Michigan

Michigan has been known as the Wolverine
State from at least 1846, when it first appeared in the
"Knickerbocker Magazine", although "Wolverine"
for an inhabitant of Michigan goes back at least 10 years earlier.
Nobody is quite sure exactly why this name should have been applied,
as there is no evidence that wolverines actually existed in the
state. It is likely that the name was given to Michiginians because
of their vicious and gluttonous actions, either by the Ohians during
the Toledo War (over a disputed strip of land around Toledo) or
by the Indians who saw how aggressively the land was being taken.
Michigan is also known as the Lake State, or the Great
Lakes State (which appeared on the state licence plates)
for its proximity to Lake Michigan, but this name conflicts with
the "Lake States", given to the states which border the
Great Lakes. To avoid this conflict, some have turned it into the
Lady of the Lake and the more remote Water Wonderland.
Detroit's heavy car manufacturing industry has also led
some to refer to the Auto State.

Minnesota

The official nickname of Minnesota is
the North Star State, and the state seal has the motto
L'Etoile du Nord on it. It is also commonly known as the
Gopher State, a nickname which dates back to around
1880 and is based on the fact that the American football team of
the Minnesota State University were known as "The Golden Gophers"
(a variety of squirrel) - but Arkansas also laid claim to the name
35 years earlier. Energetic supporters of the state have variously
given it names like Bread and Butter State or Bread
Basket of the Nation, Cream Pitcher of the Nation,
and the Wheat State, all based on the state's production
of wheat and dairy produce, and Playground of the Nation.
The numerous lakes in the state have also led it to be known
occasionally as the Land of 10,000 Lakes (in fact,
Minnesota has more like 12,000 lakes) - Minnesota licence plates
have 10,000 Lakes on them.

Mississippi

In 1872, Mississippi was known as the
Mudcat State, after a large catfish that lived in
the river mud (a similar allusion may also have given it the less
common nickname the Mud-Waddler State).
Bayou State dates from around 1867, and Eagle
State is possibly a shortening of Border-Eagle State,
which first appeared around 1846, and both may be from the
eagle that appears on the state's seal. The state is also sometimes
known as the Groundhog State or the Hospitality
State (which appears on the licence plates) . However, the
abundance of the magnolia, and its adoption as the official state
flower and tree, has led to the modern nickname of the Magnolia
State.

Missouri

Missouri has been known as the Iron
Mountain State, Bullion State (from around
1848, and possibly an allusion to the nickname of Missouri senator
Benton, who was known as "Old Bullion"), the
Lead State, the Ozark State, the Puke
State (possibly a corruption of "Pike", as there
is a Pike County in Missouri, and another just across the river
in Illinois), the Cave State, and the Pennsylvania
of the West. The modern nickname of the Show Me State
(which also appears on licence plates) was given national popularity
at the end of the 19th century from a phrase included in a speech
by a Missouri congressman, William Vandiver, although it had existed
before then.

Montana

In its early days, Montana was the Bonanza
State (around 1893, and from the rich mineral deposits)
and the Stub-Toe State (from 1890, and an allusion
to its steep mountain slopes). But the rich gold and silver deposits
have led it now to be known as the Treasure State,
although the wide open spaces have also produced Big Sky
Country (which is what appears on the state's licence plates)

Nebraska (The Cornhusker
State - 1945)

In 1922, Nebraska was sometimes known
as the Antelope State, and the Black Water State.
But the legislatures has already passed an act in 1895 which declared
the state as the Tree Planters State, and its licence
plates showed the Beef State. The dark colour of its
rivers resulted in some calling it the Black Water State
in around 1916. Others have called it the Bugeating State,
after a nickname of "Bug-eaters" given to Nebraskans,
a derogatory term based on the poverty-stricken appearance of the
state. In 1945, the original nickname (which also appears on licence
plates) was replaced by the Cornhusker State, where
"Cornhusker" was originally applied to the University
of Nebraska's athletic and football teams.

Nevada

Having been admitted to the Union during
the Civil War, Nevada adopted the Battle-Born State
as its nickname, and this is still used today, having been officially
adopted as the staet slogan in 1937. Facetious nicknames, like Divorce
State have appeared (in this case, due to the rise of Reno
and Las Vegas), but the state was more seriously known as Silverland
(traced back to 1863, from the wealth of silver deposits). This
eventually became the Silver State (a nickname challenged
by Colorado, but which is what appears on the state's licence plates
today), and also led to the Mining State. However,
the Sagebrush State (challenged by Wyoming) is more
common (the sagebrush being the state's official flower), occasionally
shortened to Sage State

New Hampshire

Back in 1830, New Hampshire was known
as the Granite State, and this nickname has prevailed
to the present day (there was once a huge industry based on the
quarrying of granite). On the way, various other nicknames have
appeared, such as White Mountain State, Switzerland
of America (both because of the abundance of white-topped
mountains) and the Mother of Rivers (because of the
many rivers which start in the white mountains). New Hampshire licence
plates declare the state motto, Live Free or Die!

New Jersey (no official
nickname)

In the 1880s, New York suffered plagues
of insects which originated in the marshes of New Jersey, which
led the state to be known as the Mosquito State.
The clam fisheries on the coast led some to call it the Clam
State, and others called it Switzerland of America
(one of five states to be so-called). The famous "Camden and
Aboy Railroad" led to the state sometimes being known as the
Camden and Aboy State, and the blue uniforms of the
Civil war gave it the Jersey Blue State. But
these days New Jersey is simply known as the Garden State,
a name coined by Abraham Browning in a speech at the Centennial
Exhibition in 1876, and which has, despite the objection and veto
of the governor, appeared officially on state licence plates since
about 1954.

New Mexico

New Mexico has been known as the Sunshine
State, a name recorded from around 1926, as well as the
Cactus State, and the Spanish State.
Enthusiastic supporters have variously regaled New Mexico with Land
of Cactus, Land of the Delight Makers, Land
of Opportunity, Land of Heart's Desires and
Land of Enchantment, but it is the last of these which
has stuck and which appears on licence plates.

New York

The state motto is "Excelsior",
and some have called New York the Excelsior State. The
trousers worn by the early Dutch settlers resulted in the Knickerbocker
State It has also sometimes been known as the Gateway
to the West. But, when George Washington referred to New
York state as "the seat of Empire" in 1784, he set the
seed for the state's long-term nickname which appeared in around
1820 - the Empire State. It is this which appears
on state licence plates.

North Carolina

Once commonly known as the Old North
State, because of its position and history, North Carolina
has some beautiful mountain country which led it to also be known
as the Land of the Sky. But the modern day nickname
of the Tarheel State goes back to the mid 19th century.
North Carolinians were known as "tarboilers" as early
as 1845, also as "Tar Heels". Why they were so called
is not really known - one suggestion is that a brigade of North
Carolinians failed to hold a position during the war in 1869, and
Mississippians blamed the fact that they had failed to tar their
heels that morning. By 1844, the state was being called the Tar
and Turpentine State, and by 1859 just Turpentine
State. The Wright Brothers launched their first flight in
North Carolina, and this has led to First In Flight,
a nickname or motto which now appears on car licence plates, along
with First in Freedom

North Dakota

A local ground squirrel, the flickertail,
gave North Dakota its Flickertail State nickname (an
attempt to make this the official nickname in 1953 was defeated),
and the Indian tribes its Sioux State and Land
of the Dakota .Its importance led it to be sometimes known
as Great Central State. But the International Peace Gardens (crossing
the northern border of the state into Manitoba) have given the state
its modern nickname (and car licence plate slogan) of the Peace
Garden State (it's worth noting that some references incorrectly
give "Peach Garden State", which is a transcription error
that seems to have propagated through many works!) - it first appeared
on licence plates in 1956, and in 1957 the legislature formally
required it to appear on licence plates.North Dakota was also known
as the Roughrider State (an allusion to the "Rough
Rider" cavalry that Theodore Roosevelt is supposed to have
led) and this name was used in the 1960s and 1970s as part of a
tourist campaign, but attempts in 1971 and 1973 to have this replace
"Peace Garden State" on licence plates failed.

Ohio

During the very early part of the 19th
century, Ohio was sometimes known as the Yankee State
since many settlers had come from New England, but that's a nickname
that was given up a long time ago. Some of the state's proponents
claimed Mother of Presidents, (sometimes Mother
of Modern Presidents) having been where more than half a
dozen presidents had started their lives (it's a name that Virginia
once used). But the state tree, a variety of horse chestnut, gives
the state its current nickname of the Buckeye State
- although its adoption owes a lot to William Henry Harrison who,
during the 1840 presidential adopted a log cabin made of buckeye
timber as his emblem, and many of his supporters would carry buckeye
canes. Ohio licence plates declare The Heart of it All

Oklahoma

Even before the land was thrown open to
white settlement, many early settlers snuck across the border and
made claims there. When the first official settlers were allowed
across, they found these "sooners" already in possession
of the land that they were hoping to take. This led to the state
being called the Sooner State. Those who had waited
patiently for the canon's "boom", a signal that they could
cross into Oklahoma, resulted in the much rarer nickname Boomer
State, or Boomer's Paradise. According to some Oklahoma
licence plates, Oklahoma is OK!

Oregon

Through the years, Oregon has various
been called the Sunshine State (yes, another one!),
Webfoot State (derived from the nickname given to residents,
because of the high level of rainfall) and Hard-case State
(named after the evil characters who flocked to the state in its
early days, and from their austere descendants). But Oregon's state
animal is the beaver (since 1969), and it is a widely recognised
symbol for the state - which has led the State University athletic
team to be known as "the Beavers", and state to being
called the Beaver State. Oregon licence plates call
the state Pacific Wonderland

Pennsylvania

One of the oldest state nicknames (and
that which appeasr on its licence plates) is the Keystone
State, probably applied to Pennsylvania from the late 18th
century (although the first official citation is from 1802, when
at a rally Pennsylvania was toasted as "the keystone in the
union"). The industry of Pennsylvania once gave it the nicknames
of the Coal State and Steel State, but
these have long drifted into oblivion. Philadelphia is known as
"The Quaker City", a name which was sometimes been transferred
to Pennsylvania itself as the Quaker State.

Rhode Island (no
official nickname)

The smallest state (but the one with the
longest full name of "Rhode Island and Providence Plantations")
is often just called Little Rhody, dating back perhaps
as early as 1851 (and more recently, the Smallest State).
In 1847, it was being referred to as the Plantation State
(a reference to the state's full name). Because of its position,
its other common nickname (mainly for the benefit of tourists) is
the Ocean State, and this is what appears on its licence
plates.

South Carolina

The palmetto palm (a variety of fan palm)
has been associated with South Carolina since colonial days, and
the first appearance of Palmetto State (the nickname
used in modern times) appears to have been around 1843. But numerous
other nicknames have emerged over the years - Rice State,
the Swamp State, the Iodine State (used
to promote iodine-rich produce) and the Sand-lapper State.
It is also sometimes known as the Keystone of the South Atlantic,
and the Seaboard State. State licence plates use the
first words of the song - Nothing Could be Finer

South Dakota (The
Mount Rushmore State - 1980)

When Dakota split into two parts, South
Dakota became variously known as the Blizzard State, the
Artesian State (for the many artesian wells in the
state), and the Land of Plenty. It was also known
as the Sunshine State a name, which unlike the other
three, was retained and which was depicted on the state flag until
1980. In that year, South Dakota deferred to Florida's claim on
the nickname and relaunched the state officially as the Mount
Rushmore State, which appears in words on the state flag.
The other common nickname is The Coyote State, which
comes from the prairie wolf, named by the Nahuatl Indians as the
"coyotl", from which we get "Coyote" (and which
is also a nickname for the residents of the state). Licence plates
declare Great Faces, Great Places.

Tennessee

Tennessee is known officially (by some
accounts) and on its licence plates as the Volunteer State,
a name which goes back (depending on which reference you
use) either to 1812, when the volunteer soldiers showed particular
courage in the Battle of New Orleans, or to 1847 when the Governor
called for three regiments to serve in the Mexican War, and 30,000
men volunteered. The state was also known as the Lion's Den,
back in 1843, possibly because border ruffians were then known as
"lions of the West". Tennessee is named after the Indian
name for the state, which means "The River with the Big Bend",
and which led to The Big Bend State, and the diet
of fatback pig and cornmeal (both abundant produce in the state)
gave it the Hog and Hominy State (it is also sometimes
known as the Hog State, and the Hominy State).
Tennessee remembers the fact that it was the home of three US Presidents,
in the nickname Mother of Southwestern Statesmen.
The tan colour of Tennessee soldiers' uniforms in the War Between
the States gave them the nickname of "butternuts" (after
the squash), and the state is sometimes known as the Butternut
State as a result.

Texas (no official
nickname)

Probably no state has a more well-known
nickname than Texas - the Lone Star State (which is
how it is described on its licence plates). It represents the symbol
on the 1836 Texas Republic flag (itself based on history going back
to the "Long Expedition" in 1819), and on the state flag
and seal of today. Despite its prominence, the nickname is purely
traditional and has not been enshrined in legislation. Many attempts
have been made to apply other nicknames to the state, with various
levels of success. Its huge cattle "industry" led it to
be known as the Beef State for a while, and its size
gave it the Jumbo State. In 1961, the New Yorker called
it the Super-American State, and others have tried
for the Banner State, and the Blizzard State.

Utah

The first settlers in Utah were the members
of the Church of Latter Day Saints, also called the Mormons. Their
hard work and great influence in the state has given Utah most of
its various nicknames. Its common, and long-standing, nickname,
the is Mormon State, of which there are a couple of
variations - such as Land of the Mormons and Land
of the Saints. The Mormons named the state "Deseret"
when they arrived, and so Utah was also sometimes known as the Deseret
State. "Deseret", from the Book of Mormon, is actually
a honeybee, and the early Mormon settlers were described as having
carried with them "swarms of bees". This is what gave
the state its symbol (officially adopted in 1959) of a conical beehive
with a swarm of bees around it (on the state flag), and the nickname
of the Beehive State. The only "non-Mormon"
nickname is the Salt Lake State, but even this is
closely linked with the Mormons, who first settled in what is now
known as Salt Lake City, next to the great Salt Lake.

Vermont

I can find no reference to any other
nickname for Vermont other than the Green Mountain State
(which, not surprisingly, is also on the licence plates). This name
comes from "Green Mountain Boy", a name for an inhabitant
going back to 1772, in turn named after the militia of the previous
year which was organised to protect the state against the New Yorkers
(and, of course, derives from the state's name itself, coined in
1761 by Rev Dr Peters, who named the mountains "Verd Mont",
meaning "green mountain", which itself probably came from
the "Green Mountains" which were named by Samuel de Champlain
in 1647).

Virginia

Virginia has the oldest citation for
any state nickname. Old Dominion has its first recorded
sighting in 1778, but this derives from Ancient Dominion,
the nickname for the state from the end of the 17th century.
It is also known as the Mother of States, being the
first state to be colonised (a name not attributed to Virginia until
1855, whereas Connecticut had been given the name in 1838), and
Mother of Presidents, because Virginia supplied seven
of the first twelve of the US Presidents. Some also developed this
last name into Mother of Statesmen. The early British
loyalists who settled in the states were Cavaliers, and this gave
the state another nickname, the Cavalier State. Virginia's
licence plates are a little less ambitious, and simply declare Visit
Virginia!

Washington

The many conifer forests of Washington
state produced the nickname the Evergreen State, coined
by Seattle Realtor and historian, C.T. Conver. Although numerous
references say that the nickname was officially adopted by the legislature
in 1893, the Washington legislature's own Web site says that it
"has never been officially adopted by law". It is also
known as the Green Tree State, which appears on its
licence plates.Before that, the Chinook Indians lent
their name to the Chinook State, a nickname which
has been traced back to 1890.

West Virginia

West Virginia is one of the states which
attempted to lay claim to the Switzerland of America,
but is more usually known (including on licence plates) as the Mountain
State. The shape of the state also gave West Virginia The
Panhandle State.

Wisconsin

Wisconsin inhabitants are "badgers",
and Wisconsin is the Badger State. The name appears
to have arisen from the early lead miners who worked at the Illinois
Galena lead mines in the 1830s. These mines are close to where Illinois,
Iowa and Wisconsin meet, and were also responsible for giving the
"Sucker" and "Puke" nicknames to those from
Illinois and Iowa. However, "badger" arose not from the
burrowing in the lead mines, but because those from Wisconsin did
not live in houses, but in caves in the hillside that looked like
badger burrows. They earned the nickname at the mines, and took
it back on their return to Wisconsin. Interestingly, Wisconsin adopted
the badger as the official state animal in 1957. But Wisconsin is
predominantly a dairy state, producing 40% of the country's cheese,
and 20% of its butter - not surprisingly, then, the state is sometimes
nicknamed the Dairy State, America's Dairyland
(which is how it appears on licence plates) or even the Cheese
State.

Wyoming

The first grant of suffrage in the US
was made in Wyoming in 1869, leading to the state being called the
Suffrage State or the current Equality State.
But the state's symbol is a cowboy on a bucking bronco,
leading to some calling it the Cowboy State. Wyoming's
licence plates declare, Like No Place on Earth.